Flowing device for wells



YJuly 15 1924. 1,501,536.

L. FRIEDMAN ET AL FLowING DEVICE Foa WELLS )i TTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented July l5, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,501,536 PATENT OFFICE.

Lomas FRIEDMAN, or MUNGIE, INDIANA, AND DAVID WALLACE, or TULSA, oxLanoMa.

FLoWING DEVTCE For. WELLS.

Appucauun med :une Io, 1922. seriaI No. 567,262.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, LoUEs FRIEDMAN and DAVID TWALLACE, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Muncie, in the county of Delaware and State of Indiana, and Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flow- Ing Devices for l/Vells, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates generally to flowing devices for wells and more especially to certain improvements in our flowing device described and claimed in our Patent 1,414,402 dated May 2nd, 1922, and including among other things a downwardly opening fluid and pressure receiver which is Insertable in a well casing and has an out-v flow line connected to its upper closed end together with a pressure tube forming the sole means of communication between the interior of the receiver and the outflow line and means within and connected to the re cci-ver for supporting the pressure tube, whereby it is as a whole adapted to utilize the pressure within a well for the purpose of causing outfiow of oil and gas in lieu of the usual pumping apparatus as Well as the troublesome and expensive upkeep thereof'.`

Through the use of such a flowing device, either the natural gas pressure within a well is taken advantage of, or gas or air pressure introduced and it is not only true that the more or less expensive and troublesome pumping apparatus, ordinarily employed, is done away with, but an important and decided advantage is obtained by virtue of the steady uniform outflow as distinguished from the intermittent outflow of a pumping VVapparatus, making the external separation of liquid and gas a Inuch easier operation and one that can be carried out Inuch more eflectivel According to our present. improvements we utilize an outflow tube or tubes opening into the outflow line in addition to the pressure tubes, one at least of which outflow tubes o ns into the receiver, and another of whic may be extended to any suitable point below the receiver in order to take care of water collecting in the lower part .line by virtue of the of the well. The flow of fluid through these tubes is induced by suction in the outflow jets of oil and gas from the upper outlet ends of the pressure tubes and the result is a more Inented outflow of oil and gas otherwise take place.

We also provide certain improvements and refinements utilized in case of theintroduction of air or gas pressure where there is insullicient pressure in a well, so that all danger of back pressure within a well which might otherwise retard the free inflow of oil, is avoided.

With these and certain other objects, the advantages of which will be apparent, our invention resides in the improved apparatus shown in the accompanyin drawing which forms a part of this speci cation and illustrates our invention, and in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through our improved apparatus with the lower end of the receiver open,

Figure 2 is a similar view taken throu h a slightly modilied form and at right ang es to Figure 1, for instance on line 2-2 of Figure 4, showing the lower end of the receiver plugged and illustrating theuse of pressure supply means,

rFigure 3 is a detail perspective View of the plug through which the several outflow and pressure tubes are extended, and

igure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referringnow to these figures, and as in our previous patent, our improved apparatus is connected to the lower end of an outllow line in the form of a pi e 10, to which the upper end of the cylin rical barrel 11 is connected as by means of a coupling 12. This barrel 11 is externally threaded at its up er portion to receive thereon an internal y and externall threaded supporting ring 13, above whicliI ring and between the same and the coupling 12 an expansion gasket 14 is provided between washers 15 and 16. This gasket is adapted to closely interlit the well casing 17 and to seal or substaw tially seal the latter at whatever point it is stationed within the well casin in order to confine and trap gas pressure In a :vell below the gasket.

Connected to the cast of its external threads threaded portion 18 at the receiver 19 in the form'of a which surrounds the lower barrel 11 in spaced relation so as to form a chamber between these parts upwardly into steady augthan would ring 13 by virtu.`

portion of the v which oil and gas are free to llow with the lower end of the receiver or shell open as it is shown in Figure 1 when there is sulllrient pressure in the well to bring about the outflow of oil and gas without the iutroduc Non ot pressure from the outside. und it is to he understood that by the use of n plug 2U within the upper portion of the barrel 11 und pressure tubes 21 whose upper ends nre extended through this plug and thus open inio the outflow line or pipe 10 und whose lower angular ends are extended laterally through the lower lportion of the barrel 1l as at 22, the device as a whole will operate with e very snzell pressure within an oil well so as to produce a continuous elfertive outflow in a greater majority of wells.

ln some few instances however it is neces sarivv to introduce ras or air pressure through n, pressure supply pipe 23 leading downwardly into the casing alongside the outllow )ipe or line l() and extending down` wnrdly through the gasket 14 und supportingA ring 13 with its lower end openingl into the receiver or shell 19 as clearly seen in rig-nre 2. With the lower end ol' the receiver or shell 19 entirely open es in Figure 1, pressure from this supply pipe 23 would find its Way into the lower portion oF the well and unless great care was exercised to bring about supply of just the proper amount of pressure at all times, there would be considerable danger of oversupply and of back ressure in the well which would prevent reo inflow of oil. It is for this purpose that we propose in sueh inst-luces to close the lower end of the shell or rc ceiver 19 as by means of a plugr 24 seen in Figure 2 secured in any suiteble manner within the lower end of the shell or receiver and downwardly through which t-he lower end of the barrel 11 opens. In this way the pressure from pressure supply pipe 23 finds its way into the pressure tubes 2l and upwardly through these tubes into the outflow line l0 but cannot allect the oil sends in the manner just above described. As the pressure passes into the outflow line 1() it pro duces a suction which draws oil upwnrdlj, through outflow tubes 25 and 26 mounted thi ugh the plug: 20 as most plainly seen in Figure 3 and whose upper ends open into the outflow pipe or line 10 iinnuxdiatel)r above the plug. The lower end of at least une of these. outflow tubes, the outflow tube Qt as shown, opens into the barrel 11 whose lower end is of course open to the inflow of oil, extending it does below the lowerl closing nlug 24 of the receiver, The other tuile 26 may be extended downwardly below the lower end of the barrel 11 as seen in lf'lgnre 1 so as to open into and receive water collecting below the oil and. where the head of eil requires7 the lower threaded end of he barrel 'l1 magT be connected by a couplinggY 2i' to a perfor-ale extension tubi` 28 providing for the inflow of oil ihrough the perfoi'utions 29, in turn rounecletl by n eoupling 30 to un imperforute extension tube 3l as seen in Figure 2. ln this forni the Outliow tube JG is extended dou'nwnrdl;Y lhrough the perforule extension tubix 28 und inlo the iuiperl'orale evt-usino tube ill und tnt15v he either connvrled to u rei-firing hell und the like 32 adapted to close the lower portion of the extension tube ill to receive the water, or where the tube 2G is either without the receiving hell or the latter does not close the extension tube 3l. a plug 33 may be employed within the extension tube to close the same around the outflow tube 26 above the lower receiving enti of the lutter.

Il: is understood of course that for oper-nl,- ing purposes in the usual well where the introduction of gas or air pressure is. unneeessary, the lower end of the receiver or shell lf) remains open, plug 24 being omitted` und pressure from the well iiselt' lluds its wav upwardly into the pressure tubes 2l and also into and through the oulllow tubes 25 and 26H all of which tubes open :it their upper ends into the outflow line or pipe ll).

1We claim:

l. A flowing device for oil wells im'ludiufrr an outer shell elo-sed ut its upper end. nu outflow pipe extending from the smid upper end of the shell1 a barrel connected lo und depending within the shell having its upper portion closed, one or more pressure tubes within the barrel having their upper ends opening through the upper closed portion ol' the barrel and into the outflow pipe` :ind hilving their lower ends opening;lr through the w all of the barrel and into the `shell` und one or more outflow tubes in the imi-rel li wing their upper ends opening throne-h thel upper closed portion of the hnrrel und iulo tlu-` outflow pipe.

2. A flowing device for oil wells including' en outer shell closed et its upper e'nd and having an outflow line connected to seid upper end by menus ol which tlnshell muy he lowered into u well easing` n linrrel con neel1- ed to and depending within the shell, und outflow tubes having,f their upper ends open` ing into the outflow pipe` eerlnin or' which tubes open downwardly into lhe hurrel und certain of which tubes open :it ilu-ir lower ends through the barrel und into the shell.

3. A flowing device. for oil wells including an outer shell closed :it its upper end and having an outllow line connu-led to seid upper end by means of which the shell um); be lowered info a well casing. n barrel con nected to and rlepeuding within the si ell, und outlloil1 tubes having their upper ends opening into the outflow pipe, certain of which tubes open downwardly into the bur rel and Certain of Whieh tubes open ut their llli Leonesa lower ends through the barrel and into the shell, means closing the lower end of the shell around the barrel, and a pressure supply pipe having its outlet end o ning into the shell for the purpose descrihdd.

4. A flowing device for oil vells including en outer shell closed at its upper end and having an outflow line connected to said upper end by means of which the shell may be lowered into a well casin a barrel connected to and derlxending wit in the shell, and outflow tubes airing their upper ends o ening into the outflow ipe, certain of w ich tubes open downwa ly into the barrel and certain of which tubes open at their lower ends through the barrel und into the shell,

and an extension tube connected to and depending from the lower end of the barrel and w1thin which another of said outllow tubes is extended.

5. A flowing device for oil wells including yun outer shell closed et its up r end and havingan outflow line connecte to said ugefer end by means of which the shell may owered into e well casing a barrel connected to and de nding within the shell, and outflow tubes.` aving their upper ends o enin into the outflow ipe, certain of w ich tuEes open downwa y into the barrel and certain of which tubes open at their lower ends through the barrel and into the shell, and an extension tube connected to and de-i pending from the lower end of the barrel and within which another of said outflow `tubes is extended, said extension tube havin e perforabe section .above the lower end o the last mentioned outflow tube, and means closing the isaid extension tube adjacent to p the lower ihtake end of the lestmentioned pressure tube.

LOUES FREIDMAN.

DAVID wALLncE. 

